Books blog + Harvard University | The Guardianhttp://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog+education/harvard-university
Indexen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2015Tue, 03 Mar 2015 19:47:02 GMT2015-03-03T19:47:02Zen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2015The Guardianhttp://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.pnghttp://www.theguardian.com
Flesh-crawling page-turners: the books bound in human skinhttp://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/apr/07/books-bound-human-skin
Harvard historians say a book thought to be bound in human skin is actually sheepskin. But the macabre art of anthropodermic bibliopegy has a long, dark history<p>It is inscribed with the disturbing information that &quot;the bynding of this booke is all that remains of my dear friende Jonas Wright, who was flayed alive by the Wavuma on the Fourth Day of August, 1632&quot;.</p><p></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/apr/07/books-bound-human-skin">Continue reading...</a>BooksCultureHarvard UniversityMon, 07 Apr 2014 13:20:16 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/apr/07/books-bound-human-skinReutersThe book "Des destinees de l'ame," by Arsene Houssaye (1815-1896), thought to have been bound in human skinis in fact sheepskin. Photograph: ReutersReutersThe book "Des destinees de l'ame," by Arsene Houssaye (1815-1896), thought to have been bound in human skin because of an inscription that referred to a man "flayed alive," has been shown through scientific testing to have been bound in sheepskin. Photograph: ReutersAlison Flood2014-04-07T13:20:16ZAmazon v newspaper: which is the more valuable review?http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2012/may/22/amazon-newspaper-review-fiction
Academics have charted reviews on social media sites and broadsheet books desks, and ranked their impact on novel sales. The results make for interesting reading<p>Last week's paper from the Harvard Business School asking <a href="http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6823.html" title="">&quot;What makes a critic tick?&quot;</a> put me in mind of teachers and bombs. Literary critics can be either, but are they any longer central to the chances of a novelist's success?</p><p></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2012/may/22/amazon-newspaper-review-fiction">Continue reading...</a>BooksFictionCultureAmazon.comInternetE-commerceTechnologyNewspapers & magazinesSocial mediaMediaNewspapersHarvard UniversityHigher educationEducationTue, 22 May 2012 11:05:28 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2012/may/22/amazon-newspaper-review-fictionFrank Baron/GuardianWeb development … do the fiction-buying public still listen to newspaper critics over online reviewers? Photograph: Frank Baron for the GuardianFrank Baron/GuardianWeb development … do the fiction-buying public still listen to newspaper critics over online reviewers? Photograph: Frank Baron for the GuardianLloyd Shepherd2012-05-22T11:05:28ZThe case against living in the countryhttp://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2011/aug/24/edward-glaeser-edinburgh-book-festival
Harvard economics professor Edward Glaeser's new book claims 'the best way to care for nature is to stay away from it'<p>Cities are greener to live in than the countryside according to a Harvard professor of economics. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.hks.harvard.edu/about/faculty-staff-directory/edward-glaeser">Edward Glaeser</a> said urban planning policy should lean towards keeping people in cities rather than ushering them out to suburbs via motorways. </p><p>The New Yorker was at the Edinburgh international book festival on Tuesday to promote his new book, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/books/review/Silver-t.html?_r=1">Triumph of the City</a>, delivering a lecture at an often dizzying pace. </p><p>&quot;I can't get past the fact that you actually live in the suburbs. It's brave of you to admit to that. By working in the city aren't you taking the best from the city and getting away from the worst of it? Although you say high density is the thing, it's not actually what you personally choose to do.&quot; </p><p>&quot;There is a statistical relationship between urban density and lower levels of energy use. That's both in the household, from smaller households using less heating and from fewer gallons of oil being purchased to drive your car. </p><p>&quot;The great irony is that places that often look green are often not green. We're a destructive species and often the best way to care for nature is to stay away from it.&quot; </p><p>&quot;Living in a big urban skyscraper may look like you're not being a friend of the environment but you actually often are and living in a leafy suburb where you have to drive everywhere may often mean you are doing more damage to the environment. We need urban policies that don't artificially push people towards urban sprawl, that don't glorify low density living. </p><p>&quot;I'm pleased that there's a debate around land use planning in Britain. I'd like to see more discussion around changes that would make it easier to build housing in cities.&quot;</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2011/aug/24/edward-glaeser-edinburgh-book-festival">Continue reading...</a>Edinburgh international book festivalBooksHarvard UniversityWed, 24 Aug 2011 12:04:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2011/aug/24/edward-glaeser-edinburgh-book-festivalMichael MacLeod /guardian.co.ukEdward Glaeser wants to see more housing in cities | pic: Michael MacLeodMichael MacLeod /guardian.co.ukEdward Glaeser wants to see more housing in cities | pic: Michael MacLeodMichael MacLeod2011-08-24T12:04:00Z